Here’s how England are already guaranteed a Champions Cup finalist

Ulster have missed out on the string of favourable results needed for the northern province to progress to the European Champions Cup quarter-finals.

A win for Stade Francais against an already qualified Leicester side eliminated Ulster, who ended up as 4th best runners-up.

Meanwhile England will have a record five representatives in this season’s European Champions Cup quarter-finals after a pulsating final weekend of pool stage action saw Exeter qualify for the last-eight in dramatic fashion by beating Ospreys 33-17 and winning Pool Two on points difference.

And the Chiefs’ achievement broke the previous English record of four clubs that made the European Cup quarter-finals in 1998.

Two of the last-eight clashes in early April will be all-Aviva Premiership encounters.

Top European seeds Saracens will host Northampton after the Saints qualified as one of three best runners-up, while Exeter can look forward to tackling Wasps at the Ricoh Arena, a ground where they have already won this season.

And with the winners of quarter-final one – Saracens against Northampton - meeting quarter-final two victors of Wasps and Exeter in the semi-finals, it means an English Champions Cup final representative is guaranteed.